Tuesday, May 6, 2014

Kristin Chenoweth Is Breathing Easier

Kristin Chenoweth is a tiny dynamo with an amazing voice, so you might be surprised to learn she has asthma. In this Lifescript interview, the singer and actress discusses her reluctance to accept the diagnosis, and how she keeps her symptoms under control today…

Actress and music sensation Kristin Chenoweth stands just 4-foot-11 and speaks with a tiny voice. But the star of Wicked on Broadway and "Glee" on TV has some amazingly powerful singing chops.

So it's difficult to imagine Chenoweth struggling for air, but she does. As she recently told Lifescript, she has asthma ^[1] – and she's not alone.

Asthma occurs when the airways become swollen and inflamed, making it hard to breathe. It's a growing problem that affects about 20 million Americans – and more women than men, according to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA). At least 8% of sufferers first develop symptoms as an adult.

Like many women with asthma, Chenoweth was in denial about having the condition when she was diagnosed 10 years ago. She actually argued with her doctor about it, she says. But once she paid close attention to her symptoms – including coughing, wheezing and breathlessness – she began accepting the challenge and taking steps to control her attacks.

At the time, she says, "I was scared – I thought, 'I'm an entertainer, and I don't want to have this.' But my mom said, 'This is what you've been handed, and you're going to have to figure out how to deal with it.'"